


Messages

by zephalien



Series: community center paul [11]
Category: Broadchurch
Genre: M/M, Pining, Voicemail, missing each other, stupid gays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:40:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27714896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zephalien/pseuds/zephalien
Summary: Short update this time. I hope it is enjoyable.
Relationships: Paul Coates/Alec Hardy
Series: community center paul [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1598026
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	Messages

When he gets into his office on Thursday, the day after Paul has… stood him up for dinner, there is a post it note on his desk covered by a tiny envelope. The envelope is stamped with a fancy brand of earl gray tea and the note is from Paul.    
  
"I'm sorry I missed dinner. -Paul" 

It's simple but before he can manage to even wonder how Paul snuck the note into his office he feels a thrill of emotion in his chest. He isn't sure how long it has been since someone left him a kind gesture, even one as simple as a bag of tea. He stands and brings the thing with him in delicate fingers to the stove in the break area of the office. 

"Hello, sir. How are things today?" Ellie says brightly as she enters the office and drops her bag on her desk with a thud. 

"Things are… good. They're good." He responds. He feels dazed as he stirs the tea. Ellie keeps chattering away at him but he can barely process her words instead perseverating on the messy letters on the note still stuck to his desk. 

"You look odd, sir. Are you feeling okay?" Ellie asks, only mildly concerned. She is familiar enough to Hardy by now to not be disturbed by his distant moods.

"I'm… good." He responds and to his surprise he finds that he is.

* * *

Paul stands at the counter of the old newspaper shop waiting for the single customer to finish browsing and make a purchase when his phone buzzes in his pocket. He doesn't answer it because he doesn't want to get in trouble if the customer complains but also because he can't imagine who would be calling him besides a spam number.    
  
"I think this will do," The woman says when she finally finishes looking around the tiny store.    
  
"Lovely, that'll be 8.76." He responds mechanically. They exchange goods for money and she goes on her way. 

He leans against the counter and starts to fidget with the pile of credit card receipts that he is supposed to save for whatever reason. He shuffles them around and then spends a moment trying to make the pile as neat as he can then he goes back to spacing out with an elbow propped up against the counter. 

It's many hours before he remembers that his phone had rung and by then he is almost closing the shop so he puts it off until he is done with his cleaning duties. 

When he finally checks his phone, the sun has set and he has locked the front of the shop. He stands at the back door having a cigarette that he knows he will beat himself up for all night and pulls out his phone. The (1) new message notification pops up and he calls voicemail expecting to delete some insurance advert.    
  
Instead he hears the gruff voice of Alec Hardy.    
  


"Hi, um hello, Paul. I.. um… I got your note. Good tea thanks. I just wanted to say… oh shit- Miller, I'll be right there stop fussing. Anyway, I just wanted to say no harm done. I understand. We don't need to… it's really not such a big deal if you aren't interested… um, in coming to dinner that is, I mean… It's fine. I hope things are well with you and I, uh, I hope to see you around. Y-yup. [away from the mic] OKAY I'M COMING. [to the phone] Anyway, have a good day. See you, uh, around. Yeah. Okay. Bye."   
  
Paul closes his phone with an indescribable oddness rolling through his stomach. He closes his eyes and pulls in a long drag of his illicit cigarette. Breathes out. He can't. Not with Alec. Alec Hardy is never going to be interested in him, especially not now with what a mess he has become. It's bittersweet to imagine it, but he knows that all he can do. Especially now.


End file.
